When Dawn Will Break
by The Protector of Light
Summary: After the darkness destroys their world, can Riku and Kairi find each other and Sora in time to repair the damage that has been done? Or is it all over, and has the darkness won? Alternate history, Sora turns to the darkness instead of Riku.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or worlds within the Kingdom Hearts series. This is just a look into what might have happened if a few of the roles were changed.**

When Dawn Will Break

Chapter 1

"_Your adventure begins in the dead of night. Your road won't be easy, but the rising sun awaits your journey's end."_

Riku opened his eyes to the cobalt sky and the warm glow of the sun. A few wispy clouds hovered overhead; the only interruption to the beauty above. He sat up and gazed out over the pristine turquoise waters around his island home… What was the dream that had awakened him? Or was it a dream at all? Could it have been something else entirely? He stood up and looked around. In the distance, he saw his two best friends, the people who he trusted and cared about more than anyone else; they were being as lazy as he was on the beach across from him, also not working on the raft as they should be. He chuckled under his breath. _What am I worried about?_ It was all just a dream this was reality, and within it, he, Sora and Kairi were about to set out on their epic adventure to find worlds far different from theirs.

But the dream lingered. It had been so strange… a world of darkness where he had many choices to make, choices that he knew would affect his journey to follow. So many choices… and a cryptic message: _"But don't be afraid. You hold the mightiest weapon of all. So don't forget; you are the one who will open the door."_ But what was this door? And why was he going to be the one to open it? Surely this all had to do with the Keyblade.

The Keyblade: the mysterious weapon handed down to him by the strange man from another world; the man had told him to use it to protect his friends, no matter what. Or was that all a dream too? It was hard to say. What he _did_ know was that he could do nothing about it right now. All he could do was continue his day as though everything was normal, like nothing strange had happened. He stood up and picked up the log he had been saving, carrying it over to his friends. Sora was just waking up from a nap and Kairi was standing over him. They were casually chatting.

"Hey Kairi, what was your hometown like?" Sora asked.

"I told you before. I don't remember," Kairi replied.

"Nothing at all?"

She shook her head. "Nothing."

"Do you ever miss it?"

"Not really… but I'd still like to visit."

"Well then let's go!" Sora said enthusiastically.

Riku interrupted. "Aren't you guys forgetting about me?" He laughed, shaking his head. His two friends, obviously crushing on each other, seemed to be forgetting about him these days; but he didn't think much about it. He knew the three of them would always have each other. "Looks like I'm the only one working on the raft. And you're as lazy as he is, Kairi."

"So you noticed," she said, giggling. "Okay, we'll work on it together. I'll race you!"

"What?" Riku and Sora groaned.

"Ready? Go!" Riku and Sora looked at each other and leapt forward, leaving Kairi behind in a trail of dust. _Yeah,_ Riku thought. _We'll always be together._

0o0o0

Two days of preparation (and goofing off) had come and passed. It was late evening when the storm came. Riku was sitting on his front porch; he looked out over the water towards the small islet where they so often visited. "The raft!" He stood up, bolting towards the dock; he ignored his mother calling after him, telling him not to go out into the storm. No, he knew that he had to go, to reach the island and save the raft.

When he reached the island, he saw Sora and Kairi's boats docked as well. That wasn't much of a surprise; he would have expected their first instinct to be protecting the raft as well. But this storm was something unusual...

Looking up at the sky, he saw a turbulent orb of darkness above the island. Was this it? Was this the end of this world? Was _this_ what he had been prepared for?

He began his search of the island for his friends. They were somewhere around there; thinking of where to look, he headed towards the small island where he so often trained with Sora. Things were strange all around him. He could feel the world falling apart; he was lost in the surroundings he should know by heart. Strange creatures rose from the ground, but he could not harm them with the wooden sword he carried, so he chose to ignore them as much as possible.

As he crossed the bridge, he saw Sora staring at the sky in the distance. "Sora!" he yelled as he rushed forward.

"This is it, Riku." Sora turned slowly towards him.

"What?"

"This is our only chance. Our chance to get out of here. Our chance to go on a real adventure, like we dreamt about when we were kids! We just have to take it!"

"Sora…" Riku looked at his friend; there was a look of madness in his eyes. Sora was not completely there, that was obvious. "What are you even talking about? Look around you. Look what's happening to our world! This isn't a chance. We have to stop it!"

"Riku," Sora said, shaking his head. "This _is_ our only chance. It's over here. We can't turn back! We just have to go, to get away from this world. We have to make the choice! We can escape, or we can fade away. I want to live. There's no use fighting it!"

Riku shook his head, seeing that there was no getting to his best friend. He was right about one thing, though; this was the end. There was nothing they could do. But he saw Sora slipping away, and he didn't want to let that happen. "What about Kairi?" Riku asked. "We can't just leave her here!"

"She's coming too."

"How can you know that?"

"I have seen it. I have seen what is to come." Sora extended a hand towards Riku. "The darkness is taking over, and I'm not afraid!" Darkness pooled underneath him.

"Sora no!" Riku yelled, reaching out for his friend. But it was too late. The darkness engulfed him and began to climb Riku as well. "No! I have to save my friends!"

In that moment, he saw a burst of light and was back on the bridge. The world continued to fall apart piece by piece, but in his hand was a sword, a shape that he recognized from his childhood. "The Keyblade…" he said quietly. Gripping the weapon tightly, he turned and ran towards the Secret Place, feeling drawn there, fighting the strange creatures to reach his destination.

When he reached the Secret Place, Kairi was standing in the center. "Riku!" she yelled, running up to him. "Where's Sora? I thought he'd be with you!"

Riku shook his head and looked down. "I found him, but he wouldn't listen to me." He sighed. "We have to get out of here!"

Kairi looked shocked and saddened by his words. "Don't worry, Riku. We'll find him!" She tried to smile. "Let's go!"

The pair exited the cave; there was very little left of the island at all. A giant creature loomed overhead; stepping protectively in front of Kairi, Riku summoned his new Keyblade. "I've got this!" he yelled above the wind.

"You aren't the only one!" Kairi replied, drawing a Keyblade of her own. "I can fight too!"

Riku was surprised, but he nodded as he rushed the creature. Soon, a whirlwind surrounded them, pulling the creature into the dark orb above. "Kairi!" Riku yelled, grabbing his friend's hand before grabbing onto a board for dear life.

"Riku!" she yelled in return, holding his hand tightly.

"Don't let go!" he said to her through the din. But the wind was too powerful for them. Their hands separated and they were sent in different directions. He heard Kairi scream as they were pulled into the vortex. After fighting for as long as he could… everything finally faded to black.


	2. Chapter 2

_***Four years ago***_

_ "Why are we going here anyway, Sora?" Riku asked his friend, annoyed. They were getting lost. In fact, Riku was already lost. He had never seen anything like these surroundings before. They were in a marsh, everything the lushest emerald green that he had ever seen, moss hanging down from tall trees that seemed to just be getting denser and denser. The sun was faint between the branches, but it was far enough overhead for him to know they still had many hours left in the day. Its golden rays illuminated their path through the soggy ground and small ponds soaking their feet, crossing tiny streams, wandering past many strange flowers of various shades and hues. Riku had never seen anything like this before, and he was beginning to feel both uncomfortable and more comfortable than he ever had. The warm day was quite pleasant, but Riku was beginning to be crept out by the serenity._

_ "We're looking for a present for Kairi, remember?" said his spiky haired friend. "Something special, not just something from a store." Sora grinned at Riku, the sun shining on his face. "It's this way, I promise! The prettiest flower that I have ever seen! At least from the pictures." He paused. "Girls like flowers, right?"_

_ "Yes Sora. Girls like flowers." Riku said in a sharp tone. "Why don't we turn back? I don't want us to get lost…" He knew it was too late for that, though._

_ "Oh come on, Riku! It's just a little bit farther! We won't get lost, I promise! Since when were you such a spoilsport anyway? Are you scared?" Sora teased._

_ "I'm not scared!" Riku said quickly. "I'm just trying to be the logical one here. We have to make it home, and we have no idea where we're going exactly. We're going to be grounded for sure."_

_ "Oh, come on. It's not that bad! We'll be back before anyone knows we're gone!" Sora grinned._

_ Suddenly a figure emerged from the forest behind Sora. Riku pointed over his shoulder, and Sora turned slowly. "What are you kids doing out here?" A deep voice asked. The man came out of the shadows, showing himself to be an old man who appeared to have been living in these woods for a long time, his beard long and gray, his clothing dark and faded. "You're looking for trouble coming this far off of the path!"_

_ Sora was speechless, so Riku spoke up. "Sorry, sir," he said hurriedly. "We're just out exploring, looking for a Flower of Dreams for our friend."_

_ The man studied them with kind eyes, looking from one to the other. He frowned before smiling and chuckling peacefully. "You kids need to pay more attention to what your parents tell you. I'm sure you've been told not to wander off into these woods. It's easy to get lost, just like it is on your way through life."_

_ "Yes, sir, you're right." Riku was trying to remain calm for Sora's sake, but inside he was shaking._

_ "Do you know where the flower is, Mister?" Sora asked excitedly._

_ "One should not seek what they cannot obtain. The Flower of Dreams can only be reached by those of the purest of hearts, with only the best intentions in mind. I would not search for it if I were you children. You must not put yourselves into harm's way." The man sighed deeply. "I entered these woods long ago seeking answers that I have never obtained. You children should get out while you can. I will show you the way. But remember, children, there will not always be someone to show you the path. You must find your own path in life."  
"You're not making any sense, Mister. Why can't you just show us the way to the flower?" Sora asked, annoyed._

_ "Come on, Sora. Let's just give up on the whole flower thing. It was a long shot anyway." Riku said, equally frustrated. "Why should we trust you, anyway?" he said, turning to the stranger._

_ "It is entirely your decision, but it is either trust me or go on your own, and you do not know the path." The man shook his head._

_ "I guess we have no better option." Riku knew he should be afraid, but he was far more comfortable within the man's presence than he had been alone. He saw the sun becoming fainter through the trees. It wasn't long to nightfall. "We'll go with you."_

_ Sora huffed in annoyance. "Did we really come all this way to leave with no flower?"_

_ "I said it was a stupid idea in the first place!" Riku said._

_ "Come with me, children," the man said, turning to lead them through the woods. He spoke as they walked. "Listen to me, children; we must remember that we cannot have everything that our hearts desire. When it puts us in danger of falling, we must remember that we should become cautious."_

_ Sora was sulking. "Why are you being so mysterious, Mister?"_

_ "Because you need to know the way." The man smiled. "You children are important, I can tell this much. Your hearts are full of light. But that light is on the edge of the darkness, and you must not cross that line. Past that lies danger, danger to your very hearts." The man shook his head. "Perhaps you are too young to understand, but I hope you will remember my words in the future."_

_ "I think I understand…" Riku said thoughtfully. "But what if we do fall? Can't we get back up?"_

_ The man nodded. "Of course. There is always a way, always a path back to the light. It is just a difficult journey, one that is hard to begin and one that will be easy to fail. You must not heed to the darkness in your hearts. You must hold onto the light."_

_ Sora huffed. "Why are you telling us all of this? I'm bored! Why can't we go back for the flower?"_

_ "Because you put yourselves at risk. You must avoid danger while you can, but once you are in it, you must be able to protect yourselves and each other to find a way out." The man shook his head yet again. "Always remember to stick together. Together you are unbeatable. Apart, you will only destroy each other and yourselves. But always remember, in the darkness there is always a light to guide your way. It might just be difficult to see." They reached the edge of the marsh. "This is where I stop. Good luck, children. I hope you will remember my advice when you need it."_

_ "Thank you, sir—" Riku turned to face the man to show his gratitude, but he was gone as though he had never been there._

_ "What was with that guy?" Sora asked._

_ Riku shook his head. "I don't know." But he did know that he would remember his words and take them to heart._

_ "He was annoying!" Sora exclaimed. "He wouldn't take us to the flower!"_

_ "Why do you have to be so immature?" Riku yelled. "You got us into this mess, and without him, we'd still be lost in the woods!"_

_ "Hey, I could have gone on my own!" Sora argued._

_ "Like I would let you do that! You're always getting into trouble!" The two began to bicker as the sun began to set below the horizon, showing the night that was to come._


	3. Chapter 3

((Author's note: I _think_ this is a little more off of hiatus than it was… but we'll see.))

When Dawn Will Break Chapter 3:

Riku slowly opened his eyes to the sight of a starry sky above. Wooden buildings loomed above, their windows glowing yellow from dim lighting within. He looked around cautiously, trying to reorient himself and remember what had happened. All he knew for sure was that this was not his island.

He stood up, taking a moment to regain his sense of balance. The dream lay fuzzy in his mind, leaving him to wonder if it was a memory or indeed simply a dream; it had seemed so familiar…

Regardless of that, Riku knew that there were far more important issues at the moment. For one thing, he had no clue where he was or what had happened. Closing his eyes, he stood for a moment listening to the quiet of the night around him. Even the breeze proved to him that he was no longer on his own world; this had to be another.

That thought triggered another. It dawned on him; the islands were gone. He recalled the swirling vortex of darkness in the sky, Sora speaking words of nonsense about darkness being their only chance… Kairi being torn from his grasp, he voice screaming as she was pulled away from him and into the vortex above. The unsettling images sent a chill down Riku's spine; how could this have happened? What started this?

It had just been a normal day on the island. Why did things fall apart?

He looked around, seeing that he was in a dimly lit alley beside a broken box. He followed the light out of the narrow area; he found himself in a small, park-like expanse, a few streetlamps over grass surrounded by stone paths near a café; there was a shop to his left with a large neon sign that proclaimed "Accessories". It didn't matter where he was now; he needed to get moving. He needed to find Sora and Kairi, to make sure that they were safe and not alone and lost like he was now. They were younger than him; it was his job to protect them, it always had been.

Some job of that he had done.

Turning the corner, he decided it was best to go into the shop that seemed to call to him; perhaps he could find out where he was, and from there, where he needed to go. Opening the double doors, he looked around the bright room; there was a crystal in a glass box on the counter, a small display case housing jewelry in the middle of the room, and a few black leather couches across from it. Behind the counter stood a middle-aged man; he wore a white shirt and blue pants, a bizarre orange band around his waist. He looked up. "What's a kid doing in here?"

Rather than becoming defensive, Riku studied the stranger carefully, trying to decide the best way to go about this. "Where am I?" he asked after a moment.

The man appeared confused; but he shock soon subsided. "You don't know where you are?" he asked. Riku nodded. "You're in Traverse Town, kid."

Riku winced, now fully aware that his initial suspicions were correct and that he indeed was on another world. Sure, he had wanted to see other worlds, but he had wanted to see them with Sora and Kairi; now he was lost and alone without them and he had no idea how he had ended up here. "Traverse Town… Thanks." Riku turned to leave.

"Wait kid," the man said, causing him to halt. "I bet you're _really_ confused. The heartless got your world, didn't they?"

"Heartless?" Riku asked, sounding as though his mouth stumbled over the word like a foreign language. "Those monster things?"

"Yeah," Cid replied. "What's your name?"

"I'm Riku," he told him. "You?"

"Cid."

They spent the next several minutes talking, but they weren't truly getting anywhere in figuring out what had happened.

"Sorry kid," Cid resigned. "I can't help you more than that. You can look around town for your friends, but they probably aren't here. There's no telling where they ended up if your world was destroyed."

"Thanks anyway." Riku headed out the door, sighing as it closed behind him. "Look around the town, huh?" Riku asked nothing in particular as he headed in the direction that Cid had told him would lead to the other areas of town.

0o0o0

His search was fruitless; there were no signs of anything living in the other districts, let alone his friends. He was surprised, however, that he hadn't seen any more heartless. Cid had warned him in advanced that they were prominent in the town. He has left with no choice but to return to the first district and the accessory shop to see if Cid had heard anything new, and from there, he had no idea whatsoever what he was going to do.

But the first district was unsettlingly quiet. Taking a few cautious steps forward, he looked around. It seemed like danger was lurking, but he saw no signs that would point towards that being true…

Until a man who looked like a biker appeared in his line of vision. Acting on the instincts that the sinister aura emitted, he drew his Keyblade.

The man spoke. "I just don't get it," he said. "Why did the Keyblade choose a kid?"

"What do _you_ know about the Keyblade?" Riku asked slowly, trying to relax when he saw the man was unarmed.

"More than you do, I'm sure." He stepped forward; Riku backed up in response. "Now hand it over."

"What? No!" Riku said in alarm, tightening his grip on the mentioned weapon.

"Then I'll just have to make you," the man said, drawing a sword.

Every one of Riku's instincts told him to run; but he knew he would be chased, so he honestly didn't see the point. Besides,_ he_ was supposed to be the brave one of his trio, right?

…Maybe, but he was also the logical one and he could tell that this man was a far more skilled fighter than he was. "Come on, why do you want this thing, anyway?" Riku asked as he dodged another attack. "Surely it isn't that important to you."

The man didn't respond and the battle was short lived; as much as Riku tried to dodge and as hard as he tried to get in any attacks of his own, he was too slow and untrained; he was only used to fighting against wooden swords, so he was no match for one swing of the blade that knocked him unconscious.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

0o0o0

Kairi stood up and brushed herself off, taking a second to look around. She stood in a garden; in the center was a shrub cut into the shape of a castle. "Huh?" When she turned around to further examine her new surroundings, she spotted that this garden was attached to a _real_ castle. "Where am I?" she asked as she turned in a circle.

As she scanned the ground around her, she spotted someone lying on the ground in the distance; perhaps they were taking a nap. In any case, they were wearing a suit of armor as a knight would… and upon further examination they seemed to be a dog…

Her thoughts were interrupted when a duck wearing a wizard hat came screaming into the garden and up to the sleeper. "Goofy wake up!" the duck yelled. Goofy simply snored on. "Wake up!" the wizard ordered once more as he raised his staff into the air and brought a bolt of lightning from the sky to strike Goofy.

"Oh good morning Donald," Goofy said casually. He seemed undeterred by his rude awakening.

"This is serious!" Donald said. He lowered his voice and Kairi could no longer eavesdrop.

She watched a moment more before she heard a sound behind her. "Excuse me?" a high pitched voice asked.

Startled, Kairi turned to face a mouse wearing a crown and a fancy gown, flanked by a duck in similar attire. "Oh! Hello," Kairi said quickly. "I'm sorry to intrude on your garden," she added, bowing quickly to the apparent royalty. "I'm honestly unsure how I got here in the first place."

"That's quite alright," the mouse said with a laugh. "I thought you looked lost."

"Well, um…" she was not sure how to reply. "I… I guess I am."

Noticing how uncomfortable Kairi seemed, the mouse offered a smile. "I'm Queen Minnie," she introduced.

Kairi bowed once more, bringing another laugh from the queen. "It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness. I'm Kairi."

The duck looked up. "I wonder what those two are arguing about?" she sighed. "I'll go and get them; oh, I'm Daisy by the way."

"Nice to meet you," Kairi replied. "So, um… where am I?" she asked the queen after a pause.

"You must be from another world," the queen acknowledged. "You aren't the first one to end up here recently." She sighed. "This is Disney Castle."

"Oh." She was silent for a breath before her mind began to piece together what had happened before. Her eyes widened in realization. "What happened to my home? And what about Sora and Riku?"

"I… I honestly don't know," the queen answered sadly.

Daisy returned with Donald and Goofy. "They have something to give you, Queen Minnie," she announced.

After a nervous moment (and being elbowed by Daisy), Donald handed a letter to the queen. Minnie held her breath as she read it before releasing a heavy sigh. "I was afraid of this," she said as she turned to Daisy. "The kind has gone to try to find out where the worlds are going."

"Where the worlds are going?" Kairi asked in concern. "Wait, does that mean that my islands are gone?"

Goofy looked up, suddenly realizing she was there. "Gawsh, I haven't seen you around here," he said to her.

"Oh! I'm Kairi," she told him.

Donald appeared wary, but after a moment, he seemed to relax, his expression becoming compassionate. "Miss Kairi, I'm sorry that you're lost," he said after a while.

Kairi sniffled, refusing to cry. She couldn't cry; she needed to find Riku and Sora. They were out there somewhere. "How would I go about trying to find my friends?" she finally asked after an awkward silence. "I mean, I don't know what happened to my world; but I know that I need to find Riku and Sora."

"Well, uh," Goofy began, "We need to go out there and find the King; maybe you can come with us?"

"No!" Donald interjected. "It's too dangerous!"

"This better not be because I'm a girl!" Kairi complained. "I can fight too!"

"Please take her with you," Queen Minnie seconded. "You can help each other."

Donald crossed his arms but considered. "Fine," he resigned.

"You said you can fight," Minnie said. "What weapon do you use?" she asked curiously.

"Oh," Kairi said as she drew her Keyblade. "I'm not the best fighter, I'll admit; but I can protect myself."

"The Keyblade!" Donald and Goofy said at the same time.

"Eh?" Kairi asked.

"The King went off in search of another Keyblade," Goofy explained. "He's a Keyblade Master."

"Okay then," Kairi said. "I don't know _why_ the King wants another Keyblade wielder; but if you take me with you, then we can ask him ourselves." Donald slowly nodded. "_But_ I need to find my friends too, okay? So please help me."

0o0o0

"So what kind of ship did you say we're taking?" Kairi asked in confusion as she followed Donald and Goofy down a long, winding staircase.

"A Gummi ship," Goofy replied in an as-a-matter-of-fact tone. "They're one of the few safe ways to travel between worlds."

"Okay then…"

"But," Donald interrupted. "When we get to other worlds, we have to be careful; we can't let people know we're from someplace else."

"Right!" Goofy said enthusiastically. "We have to protect the world border!"

"Order," Donald and Kairi corrected at the same time. They looked at each other in surprise.

"Ahyuck! Right! World order!" Goofy agreed.

Kairi couldn't help but smile despite her low mood; yes, she was lost and needed to find Riku and Sora… but with these two, maybe traveling might at least be interesting.


	5. Chapter 5

When Dawn Will Break Chapter 5

0o0o0

Sitting on the ground, Sora stared up at the strange sight before him. "Is that waterfall flowing… up?" he asked himself. Shaking his head in confusion, he leaned against the cold cliff wall behind him. "Where am I?" He looked around, seeing purple-grey stones that seemed to lead up the falls; above was a castle crumbling in the distance.

He chided himself for coming into this situation. It _probably_ hadn't been the wisest thing to go with the whole 'darkness is the only way out of here' thought, but for what it was worth, he was sitting here in one piece; he didn't _feel_ any different anyway. But… he didn't know where Riku and Kairi were, and that was a problem.

Getting off of that island had been the only thing on his mind that night. It caused him to be torn away from his friends, even as Riku tried to talk some sense into him. He just… he couldn't make himself fight the tempting pull of the darkness. He was too enthralled by the danger and beauty that was taking over his world.

…Now the only issue was that he didn't know whether his friends were okay. "Some friend I am," he muttered.

0o0o0

#

When Riku woke up, he was in a dimly lit room. He heard quiet talking and sat up on reflex, looking around and seeing that the room was empty but he was on a soft bed. The voices stopped as they seemed to hear his movement, and the man from earlier walked in accompanied by two women. "Hey, don't attack me again," Riku said in lack of any other thought. "Can we talk about this like civilized people?"

"I had to get the Keyblade away from you," the man claimed. "The heartless were coming."

"I didn't see any," Riku replied. "What do you care about the Keyblade anyway?" He held out his hand, causing the weapon that was leaning beside the door to come to his grasp in a flash of light.

"You don't know _anything_ about the Keyblade, do you?" one of the women asked; she had shorter, darker hair than the other.

"Not really," Riku reluctantly admitted.

"The Keyblade is the heartlesses' greatest fear." The man said with a wave of his hand. "I just don't understand why it would choose someone who can't even defend themselves."

Riku glared. "I can defend myself; you caught me off guard."

"Which the heartless could easily do as well," the other woman said. Riku didn't respond, and to break the uncomfortable silence, she introduced herself. "I'm Aerith."

"Hi," he said nervously. "My name's Riku."

The man sighed. "I'm Leon."

"And I'm Yuffie!" the short-haired woman announced.

"So… why did you essentially knock me unconscious and abduct me?" Riku asked bluntly.

"Like I said; the heartless were coming," Leon said impatiently."

"Other than that," Riku pressed, "because that obviously isn't the only reason."

"Worlds are disappearing," Aerith said. "We were hoping that someone with a Keyblade might have answers on how to prevent more from going away… although, Leon should not have attacked you; he could have asked you to come."

Leon rubbed the back of his head in response and muttered something that could have been 'sorry'.

Riku paused. "Sorry; I don't know much about the Keyblade at all. I don't know how I can help you," he admitted. "But maybe you can tell me how I might be able to find my friends?"

"They could be anywhere if your world was destroyed," Leon said oh-so-optimistically. "If they weren't around here, I don't know where to tell you to look."

"Oh," Riku said, visibly deflating. "And why can't I look other places?"

"It's not safe to go between worlds on your own," Aerith explained.

Yuffie looked up. "He could talk to Cid," she suggested.

"Cid?" Riku asked. "That guy in the Accessory Shop?"

"That's not his real job," Yuffie offered. "You should go talk to him! Maybe he can help."

"Thanks…" Riku said.

0o0o0

Having fought many heartless on his way, Riku arrived at the Accessory shop and walked in. "Hey Cid," he greeted.

Cid looked up. "Hey Riku, you see any signs of your friends?"

"No… I didn't," he looked down. "But I did run into Leon, Yuffie, and Aerith; they said that you might be able to help me figure out how to get to other worlds safely."

"No way!" Cid protested. "I can't let someone your age go off on your own like that. What if something happened to you?"

"If you don't help me, I'll go on my own," Riku threatened honestly. "I'm sure I can figure out some way."

Cid hesitated. "Okay kid… I'll help you."

A long explanation later, Riku sat at the controls of a simple Gummi Ship, ready to set out on his new quest to find his friends. "Now what?" he asked himself dully.

0o0o0

((Author's note: Short chapter is short. Sorry… I'm really just winging this story for the most part.))


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

0o0o0

"So we're looking for someone named 'Leon'?" Kairi asked her companions as they walked into a brown courtyard of stone and wood. The sky above was starry and dark in this world called Traverse Town.

"Yep!" Goofy proclaimed. "He might know something about where the King is!"

"But we have to be careful," Donald added. "You never know what could be lurking around the next corner—" With that, Donald ran into a lamppost.

Kairi couldn't help but laugh, though she quickly stopped herself with a cough. "Anyway, we'll be careful. We wouldn't want to run into anymore poles."

"Ha ha, very funny."

They walked into the nearest shop; it was labeled 'Accessories', and within the store stood a tall, blond man. "Hi," Kairi greeted.

Having grabbed his attention, the man looked up. "Hello. How can I help you?" he asked before noting her strange companions, because well, how could you overlook a duck and whatever Goofy was?

"We're looking for Leon," Goofy explained. "Would you happen to know where he is?"

"And Riku and Sora! Have you seen two boys about my age? One with brown spiky hair and the other with silver hair?" Kairi added.

The man looked at her in confusion. "Riku just left… are you Kairi?"

"Yeah." She deflated after hearing his words. "But you saw him?"

"Yes. He was looking for you and Sora. You just missed him."

"Where'd he go?"

"Well… I don't know." After a pause, the man introduced himself. "I'm Cid, by the way."

Donald tapped his foot impatiently. "What about Leon? Is he around here somewhere?"

"Yes, Leon's somewhere here in town. It's hard to keep track of him, but he, Yuffie, and Aerith are usually in an empty house in the third district." Cid paused. "But if you're going there, be ready to fight; there are heartless all over the place."

"Heartless?" Kairi asked. "Those weird shadowy things?"

"Yep."

Donald and Goofy looked at each other. They had yet to encounter such creatures, and now they appeared quite concerned. "Heartless?" they asked each other quietly.

"Leon can tell you more about them," Cid said with a nod. "You guys be careful out there."

"Thanks!" Kairi tried to sound cheerful, but in reality she was downtrodden. _I missed Riku,_ she thought. _How am I supposed to find him now?_ But she wondered if she was correct in presuming that Riku had left the world from what Cid had said or if she was misinterpreting his words.

As they left the shop, Goofy looked at her. "Don't worry Kairi. We'll find Riku and Sora."

"Thanks Goofy."

Donald crossed his arms impatiently. "First we need to find the King!"

"Hey, I only agreed to come with you and help you if you helped me find Riku and Sora!" Kairi countered. "We don't even have any leads on your King! It doesn't matter who we find first." She crossed her arms as well, pursing her lips and looking straight forward moodily.

"We won't stop until we've found all of them," Goofy stated.

"Thanks Goofy," Kairi said with a smile. "That's all that I meant."

0o0o0

Finding Leon didn't take long; in fact, it was more like he found them.

"We're surrounded!" Donald yelled as heartless circled around them.

"You know, you could try and help me fight them," Kairi replied in annoyance, swinging her Keyblade at the creatures.

"I'm out of MP!" Donald replied, whacking one on the head with his useless staff.

"Whoa!" Goofy yelled as he blocked another attack and attempted to counter.

A brown-haired swordsman approached quickly, helping them defeat the creatures in minutes. For what it was worth, they actually hadn't been doing too badly. "What are you doing out here?" the man asked.

"Thanks for helping us," Kairi said as she took a deep breath to calm herself. "We're looking for someone named 'Leon'."

The man blinked. "That's me."

Donald and Goofy looked at each other and back at him. "You're Leon?" Goofy asked.

"That was easier than expected," Donald muttered.

"So anyway, these guys have something or another they need to talk to you about," Kairi continued.

They entered the small empty house in the third district. Well, it wasn't _really_ empty, since two women were with who were quickly introduced at Aerith and Yuffie.

Donald cleared his throat. "So the King told us to find you and ask you about the worlds disappearing."

"That's the heartless' doing," Leon said. He explained how their world had been overrun by heartless and how they ended up escaping to Traverse Town.

Kairi frowned. "Oh. So does that mean that my world is gone?"

"Hard to say," Leon replied.

Kairi perked up a bit. "Say, you guys wouldn't have happened to run into a boy named Riku or one named Sora, would you?"

Aerith looked over. "You must be Kairi."

"Yeah, sorry I didn't introduce myself," she said with a chuckle. "But you saw one of them."

"We talked to Riku, yes. We sent him to ask Cid for help traveling between worlds to search for you."

"So I just missed him," she said in defeat. "I wonder where he went."

0o0o0


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

0o0o0

_(Past)_

_ Sora looked over his shoulder at the dusky beach behind him. It was late… as much as he didn't want to it was time to head home for the night. Riku and Kairi had already left nearly an hour ago, but Sora couldn't bring himself to leave the small island. He yawned and stretched, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something or someone was following him._

_ He would usually brush off something like that as paranoia and move on, but he had made some major mistakes recently and wound up in some strange situations. On Monday, he fell into a cavern of sand when no one was around. He knew he was lucky that he had managed to escape on his own. It was the start of summer vacation and Sora was beginning to question whether this would be a good year or if things were about to fall apart._

_ What he did know was that he felt like he was getting further and further away from his friends. Riku, Kairi, and he had always been inseparable, but now he only wanted to be away from them. He had felt relieved when they had decided to leave the island earlier… Something was wrong, and Sora could tell it._

_ He came to a halt when he saw something strange on the ground ahead. He looked down at the swirling puddle of black and purple, mesmerized by the shades. He had seen these colors before; last week, while school was still in session, he had heard some run-of-the-mill bullies talking crap about Riku and Kairi. He had been unreasonably angry. As he clenched his fists, he had seen these colors in an aura around his hand before he had approached his classmates to snap their heads off… figuratively, of course. But instead of needing to, there was fear in their eyes when they looked at him… That was why he noticed that the aura was surrounding him entirely, and that was when he managed to calm down and make it disappear._

_ Sora still had no idea what this strange, mesmerizing pool was. All he knew was that he wanted to step into it, that he wanted to feel the energy surround him again like it had the previous week. He had felt so powerful then… Maybe if he stepped into this he would feel that strength once more._

_ He froze in mid step when he heard his name called from behind. Turning, he saw a man in the distance, one that he vaguely remembered… the weirdo in the swamp when he was a kid? The man simply shook his head before fading out in a burst of light. "What the heck?" Sora asked himself before turning back where he had been looking. The puddle was gone. Sora couldn't help but feel extremely frustrated at the thought that he might have been able to continue had the man not appeared. "Dang it, why did he stop me?" he groaned. "And what was that thing anyway?" He shook his head and continued to the dock where he quickly got into his boat and headed back home._

…_._

_ It wasn't even a week later when Sora encountered the energy again, and this time nothing stopped his curiosity from taking over. He was once again alone, this time on the roof of his house in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. He stepped into the pool of energy by chance but quickly felt like he was being overwhelmed with power. A voice faded in and out of his mind. 'The darkness is powerful,' it whispered. 'You can use it to your advantage.'_

_ Images began to flash through his vision. The island being overtaken by a severe storm, one that turned out to be caused not by weather but by a swirling mass of color similar to this 'darkness.' He stood alone on the bridge, staring out into the distance as he waited to Riku and Kairi to come. He felt at peace when he looked at the sky while the world was torn apart… the strange shadowy creatures that had once surrounded him had faded away. He knew that if he gave into this darkness, he would finally be able to get off of that tiny island, that world too small to hold his wandering spirit. He saw that he was going to be okay… and so he let it happen._

_ When Sora came back into reality, the feeling of power remained. When he looked around, the pool of darkness was gone, and no lingering visual effects remained. He looked around the roof. Was that really going to happen? He had no way to know for sure, but as he stared at the moon in the distance, he knew one thing; if it did, he would let the darkness lead the way. He would use the power that he was given to escape the island… to survive._

_ Sure, the very thought of using 'darkness' sounded eerie at best and idiotic at worst. But what other choice would he had if put in that situation? He wanted to live, he knew that much. If using the darkness was the only way that he could survive, he wouldn't hesitate. How could he?_

0o0o0

(Present)

He had tried to shrug it off and go back to sleep, but as the hours passed, he couldn't get the images to leave his mind. He didn't sleep for days. How could he sleep when he knew that his world was about to end? So sure, he might not have been thinking clearly when he let the darkness cover him as he was pulled away from his world… sure, he should have warned Riku and Kairi… But really, what other choice had he had?

He had to survive, so he made his choice, and even now, he tried to let it go. Now he needed to find his friends… because they were okay, right? Surely they were!

Then why did he feel so helpless and alone?

0o0o0


End file.
